Digital Branch of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Oral History Program

Joe "Joee" Redington, Jr.

Joe Redington, Jr. (Joee) is the son of Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race founder, Joe Redington, Sr. He grew up on the family homestead in Knik, Alaska and got involved with dog mushing at an early age. Joee has been a successful sprint dog racer, winning the Junior Fur Rendevous and Junior Open North American, as well as the World Championship Fur Rendezvous sled dog race in 1966. He competed in races all across Alaska, Canada, New York and New Hampshire, and the Mid-West circuit. He retired from racing in about 2010.He is also well known for breeding and training award-winning sled dog puppies; he raised his last litter in 2014. Since 1959, he has also been a commercial fisherman and has fished using a net and a fish wheel in Cook Inlet, Norton Sound, Bristol Bay, and the Tanana and Yukon Rivers. Joee and his wife Pam run Iditarod Kennels in Manley Hot Springs, where they offer guided tours, breed champion sled dogs, and educate people on the sport of sled dog racing. Joee Redington passed away on August 14, 2017 at the age of 74. For more about Joee, see an article about him and his obituary in the Fairbanks Daily News Miner newspaper.

Date of Death:

Aug 14, 2017

Joe "Joee" Redington, Jr. appears in the following new Jukebox projects:

Joe Redington Jr. was interviewed on June 2, 2011 by Robert Drozda and William Schneider at Joe's home in Manley Hot Springs, Alaska. In this interview, he talks about his family history with dog mushing and dog racing, raising and training sled dogs, breeding dogs, living in Unalakleet, development of his own racing career, changes in dog racing, the importance of family support for a dog musher, and the future of dog mushing.

Joe Redington Jr. was interviewed on June 3, 2011 by Robert Drozda and William Schneider at Joe's home in Manley Hot Springs, Alaska. In this interview, he talks about his family history with dog mushing and dog racing, raising and training sled dogs, knowing which positions to put the dogs into a team, and the love of dog mushing.